The Jack Hotel & Backpackers

In Cairns City, The Jack Hotel & Backpackers brings together a pub, restaurant, live entertainment venue, backpacker hostel, gaming room and tour shop in one central location. It is an established Cairns venue with an 800-person capacity, making it equipped for everything from a casual drink or meal to larger celebrations and organised functions. The function spaces are set up for birthdays, hens and bucks parties, engagement parties, corporate events and Christmas gatherings.

The venue’s indoor-outdoor layout centres on an all-weather undercover beer garden, with three bars and several areas for eating, drinking and watching sport. The beer garden hosts live music and major sporting events, while the venue’s screens include five projectors, two large HD LED screens and 18 flat-screen televisions. That makes The Jack a practical choice for groups who want a lively place to follow a match, meet for after-work drinks or continue into an evening out. Its regular live shows and monthly touring artists also give it a stronger entertainment focus than a standard pub.

Food is served at lunch and dinner, with the restaurant offering a contemporary Australian menu that includes pizzas, seafood, burgers and steaks. Diners can eat in the restaurant, bar, beer garden or near the sports screens, and the venue describes a family-friendly dining area alongside options for work lunches, larger groups and casual dinners. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free choices are available, and takeaway or pre-ordering is offered for people on a short lunch break. The venue also says it sources fresh produce locally. Restaurant hours listed on the website are lunch from noon to 2.30pm daily, with dinner from 5pm to 8.30pm Sunday to Thursday and until 9pm on Friday and Saturday.

For travellers, The Jack’s backpacker accommodation is in the Cairns CBD, within a short walk of the lagoon, shopping malls, bars and clubs. Hostel guests receive Wi-Fi and complimentary evening meals seven nights a week, and the team can assist with planning tours. The gaming room has 25 poker machines and Keno, while the broader venue suits a range of visitors: families at dinner, groups attending functions or live music, sports fans, workers meeting for lunch and backpackers looking for a central base. With its mix of dining, entertainment, accommodation and event facilities, it is best approached as a busy, multi-purpose Cairns venue rather than a quiet pub.